Representatives of The Society were involved with the design of the statue of Blanche Heriot which was provided by Richard Cook under a Section 106 agreement associated with the development of an office block near Chertsey Bridge.
It was sculpted by Shelia Mitchell of Puttenham. It depicts the 15th century tale of Blanche Heriot who stopped the curfew bell ringing by hanging on to the clapper and thus stopped her fiancé, Neville Audley, being executed at sunset when the curfew bell was rung.
In 1840, Albert Smith published the story, and stated that it was based on a Chertsey legend. His work became a very popular West End melodrama, and the tale inspired American writer Rose Hartwick Thorpe to pen her poem ‘The Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight’ which became one of Queen Victoria’s favourite poems.
Blanche Heriot Sculpture
Poem Illustrations
